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Good News for Everyone


CDF is here to help put faith into action. We do this through the delivery of financial solutions that balance margin and mission, for the common good. 


Since 1956, CDF has been supporting communities and continually improving an approach that allows us to provide a unique level of support across our footprint of Catholic primary and secondary schools, parishes and more recently healthcare and social service providers. 


Our primary role is to support the work of Catholic organisations. While this work is increasingly complex and the demand for services grows, the needs of Catholic organisations can’t always be met by the traditional banking sector. However, our values-based approach to lending, backed by our rigour and professionalism as a financial organisation, allows CDF to give Catholic organisations every possible chance to put their faith into action. 


To this end, our lending is based on a unique set of criteria when compared to other financial organisations:


  • We are guided by Catholic Social Teaching, that provide a set of principles for building a society based on love, respect and human dignity.
  • We are committed to the common-good, and the fact that we are a Development Fund, and not a bank, means we have the freedom to support our customers who otherwise may not be eligible for support from the traditional banking sector. In over 60 years of work devoted to the common-good, CDF has never registered a bad debt. 
  • Funding from within means Catholic endeavours and enterprises can be relatively self-sufficient, rather than relying on a banking system exposed to unpredictable and volatile market influences.


Investments with us continue to grow our social mission and demonstrate, through faith in action, the fundamental values of the Church and its very real contribution to a fair, cohesive and productive society. 

Pictured: Iona College (Geelong), building funded by CDF.

Our Mission


CDF supports the mission of the Church by helping to build Christ-centred, redemptive and transformative communities. It does this by pooling the savings of the Catholic community to fund the constructions of schools, parishes, hospitals, aged care and social service facilities.

Our Guiding Scriptures


Purpose: ‘Go, therefore, make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded to you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of age.’ (Matthew 28: 19 – 20) 


Care for others: ‘A new commandment I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.'(John 13: 34 – 35) 


Sharing of wealth: ‘”What should we do then?” the crowd asked. John answered, “Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and anyone who has food should do the same.”‘ (Luke 3: 10 – 11)

CDPF Limited, a company established by the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, has indemnified the Catholic Development Fund ABN 15 274 943 760 (the Fund) against any liability arising out of a claim by investors in the Fund. In practice, this means your investment is backed by the assets of the Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne. The Fund is required by law to make the following disclosure. Investment in the Fund is only intended to attract investors whose primary purpose for making their investment is to support the charitable purposes of the Fund. Investors’ funds will be used to generate a return to the Fund that will be applied to further the charitable works of the Archdiocese of Melbourne and the Dioceses of Sale and Bunbury. The Fund is not prudentially supervised by the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority nor has it been examined or approved by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC). An investor in the Fund will not receive the benefit of the financial claims scheme or the depositor protection provisions in the Banking Act 1959 (Cth). The investments that the Fund offers are not subject to the usual protections for investors under the Corporations Act (Cth) or regulation by ASIC. Investors may be unable to get some or all of their money back when the investor expects or at all and investments in the Fund are not comparable to investments with banks, finance companies or fund managers. The Fund’s identification statement may be viewed here or by contacting the Fund. The Fund does not hold an Australian Financial Services Licence.

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